Dog people know who they are. There’s nothing shameful about being a dog person, and real dog people will freely admit their affection for these (usually) four-legged companions. Being a dog person automatically gives you endless conversation opportunities with other dog people, and, really, no one is ever going to whisper, “Oh, her? She’s a dog lady.”

In Wade Rouse’s new book, an anthology of twenty essays from some of our most relevant humorists, “tails” (ha-ha) of canine companionship cover all the challenges and joys that many a dog owner experiences. These animals come into lives and change them; whether they are aware of their impact or not is beside the point…the point is that they make an impact. Thanks to the wit and insight of the contributors, these stories resonate, dog owner or not.

From the wow-we-really-didn’t-think-this-one-through pup that the family could never have lived without to the noble hound who was on his best manners until the day he died, the stories are as varied as the dogs they feature.

A good dog embodies all the best parts of a relationship—companionship, affection, unconditional love, one-sided conversations, a Seinfeld reruns partner that never talks during the show. The dog lovers who contributed to Rouse’s collection are probably the kind of people who have been accused (by the humans in their lives) of loving their dogs more. In some of the essays, that situation is obvious. In all of the essays, there is no shame in that accusation.

Rouse’s anthology is hilarious, sweet, and moving. Reading about these dogs and their owners’ love for them is the next best thing to having one of them in your life. In true dog-lover fashion, Rouse is donating ten percent of his royalties from the book to the Humane Society of the United States. Go fetch a copy, sit, and read.

Dogs are pack animals, and they make their humans more social creatures too, so join Rouse at the Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library St. NE, September 13 at 7 p.m. as he discusses I’m Not the Biggest Bitch in this Relationship. Sorry, pups have to stay home.

SuppliedLois Hoitenga Roelofs will be at Literary Life Bookstore & More September 10.

Other author signings:
It’s hard to do it all, but somehow Lois Hoitenga Roelofs—mother, nurse, crusader for the good of mankind—has managed. On September 10, Roelofs will be signing copies of her memoir, Caring Lessons: A Nursing Professor’s Journey of Faith and Self, at Literary Life Bookstore & More, 758 Wealthy St. SE, 2—4 p.m. Visit www.literarylifebookstore.com for more details.